Founded to Foster Growth

Monticello, Illinois is a vibrant town with a unique quality of life. The Monticello Community Foundation (MCF) is a philanthropic organization dedicated to preserving this quality of life by fostering economic growth that benefits everyone who calls the Sage City their home.

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Our Mission

Small towns like Monticello have always faced unique economic challenges. The Monticello Community Foundation is dedicated to providing both the resources and the know-how necessary to help our town overcome these challenges and strengthen its economic viability. Here's how . . .

We will grow private philanthropy that helps Monticello thrive now and into the future.

We will focus the impact of collective giving on projects that affect the economic vitality of Monticello.

We will work alongside Monticello’s other philanthropic organizations for the common good.

Help Monticello Thrive

Become a Donor

If you are someone who shares our vision for a Monticello that thrives well into the future, there are many ways you can donate.

To get the process started, email us at giving@monticellocommunityfoundation.org and let us know what kind of donation you would like to make.

Monticello Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax-deductible.

Meet Our Board

Mike Atwood

Mike is President of the Monticello

Community Foundation. He also serves as President and Chief Executive

Officer of First State Bancorp and First State Bank and Trust. He and

his family have been members of

the Monticello community for over 20 years. Mike sits on the board of

Kirby Medical Center and is a past president of the Monticello Chamber

of Commerce.

John Corley

John is the founder and chairman of First State Bancorp and has been a resident of Monticello, along with his wife Trixy, for more than 40 years. He is a past president of the Monticello Industrial Action Corporation, the DoMore Corporation, and a variety of other community and professional boards. It was his vision of a philanthropic foundation that could help Monticello thrive now, and into the future, that laid the groundwork for what is now the Monticello Community Foundation.

Bill Tracy

Bill and his wife Elaine have been a part of the Monticello community for more than 40 years. In addition to raising all three of their children here, Bill established a law practice in 1977 that continues to provide legal counsel to area residents and businesses to this day. Throughout his time in Monticello, Bill has served as a board member for a wide range of charities and non-profits, including the Piatt County Nursing Home Foundation, Kirby Medical Center, and the Monticello Public Building Commission.

Gary Huisinga

Gary has been the owner and manager of Heath’s Inc., the local John Deere dealership, for more than 30 years. A lifelong resident of Monticello, Gary has served on a number of community organizations including the Monticello Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the Monticello School Board, and the Kirby Medical Center Board.

Keddy Hutson

Keddy is a Monticello native and the founder of Kennedy Hutson Associates, an architectural firm based in Monticello. He also taught Architecture at the University of Illinois for over 20 years and serves on the board of Monticello Main Street. As chair of the City of Monticello Historic Preservation Commission, he spearheaded the nomination of Monticello’s three Historic Districts to the National Register of Historic Places. He also serves on the Allerton Park and Retreat Center Advisory Board.

Kelly Finet

Kelly is a longtime resident of Monticello who has lived here for more than 50 years. She is the owner of Kelly’s Accounting Service, which has provided personalized financial guidance for local

individuals and businesses since 1988. In addition to starting her own business in Monticello, she has raised four children and been very active with Monticello youth sports throughout the

years.

Steve Tenhouse

Steve and his wife, Pam, have been Monticello residents for more than 20 years and cherish the life that they’ve made here. He is the Chief Executive Officer at Kirby Medical Center and a board trustee of First State Bank and Trust of Monticello. Steve is also a past president of the Monticello Chamber of Commerce, and has served with other non-profit organizations such as the Illinois Critical Care Organization and the Illinois Rural Community Care Organization.

Ed Ewald

Ed is a long-time resident of Monticello and a graduate of Monticello High School. After earning his degree from Illinois Wesleyan University, he built a career as an investment and financial planning professional. For the last 32 years, Ed has worked for the University of Illinois Foundation in various fundraising leadership roles. Over this time he has also been involved with Monticello youth sports and served as a board member for a variety of community organizations, including the Monticello Area Education Foundation, Kirby Medical Center, Kirby Foundation, and the Monticello Golf Club.

Kevin Feeney

Kevin is a local business owner who began his career at Burgess & Cline Insurance in 2012. He became sole owner of the agency in 2020. He and his family live right off the downtown square and love the unique, small-town charm that Monticello provides. In addition to serving on this board, Kevin is a coach for the Monticello High School basketball team and plays an active role in many other community activities.

Brenda Timmons

Brenda Timmons is a CFO in the outsourcing division for CliftonLarsonAllen. Brenda has served many nonprofit organizations as a board member and enjoys giving back to the community. Brenda lives in Monticello with her husband, Jay. They have one son, Nick, who works for RSM in Chicago. She is thrilled to be a part of the board for the Monticello Community Foundation and looks forward to giving back to the wonderful place she calls home.

Luke Feeney

Luke grew up in a farming family that has been a part of the Monticello community for generations. After graduating from Monticello High School, he earned degrees from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture and the College of Law. Today, he is a partner at Miller, Tracy, Bruan, Funk & Miller where he provides counsel for real estate, estate planning, agricultural law, and school law. He is also a partner in Plunk-Feeney Family Farms.

Larry Stephens

Larry is a freelance marketing professional who grew up in Monticello and has always thought of it as home, wherever he happened to live. His family's roots in the community go back to the late 1940s when his grandparents, Eli and Modine, moved to the area from Kentucky in search of work. He looks forward to working with the Foundation to help Monticello remain the vibrant, small town it has always been.